Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 3, 2025
Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting Propensity Score using the Military Health System Data Repository and National Death Index
Published on: January 8, 2020
Unmet Healthcare Needs and Associated Factors Among Korean Enlisted Soldiers
Eunkyoung Bae1, Jeongok Park1, Eunyoung Jung1
1College of Nursing, Mo-Im Kim Nursing Research Institute, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea.
Introduction:
The purpose of this study was to explore the rate of unmet healthcare needs among Korean enlisted soldiers and to examine the factors associated with unmet healthcare needs, based on Andersen's Health Service Behavior Model.
Method:
This study employed secondary data analysis using the dataset of the military health survey for two years, 2014 and 2015, conducted by the Republic of Korea School of Military Medicine. Of all military health survey participants, 3,636 enlisted soldiers who answered the question "In the last year, have you ever been unable to go to a hospital or a clinic when you wanted to go to a hospital or a clinic?"-the dependent variable in this study-were included in this study.
Result:
The rate of unmet healthcare needs among Korean enlisted soldiers was 23.7% (n = 860) in the current study. Among the individual characteristics, on-duty stress (Odds ratio (OR) = 1.59, 95% Confidence Interval (95% CI): 1.25-2.03) and need for treatment by a mental health specialist (OR = 1.40, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.00-1.95) were associated with unmet healthcare needs. Among the contextual characteristics, perception of injury-prevention effort (OR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.52-0.71), support from superiors (OR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.71-0.93), and possibility of accident or injury of military unit (OR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.64-0.82) were significant factors associated with unmet healthcare needs. The subjective health condition which was a proxy of the health outcome was significantly associated with unmet healthcare needs (OR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.13-2.22). The results indicate that the safety awareness of troops and social support of superiors were the contextual military characteristics associated with unmet healthcare needs of enlisted soldiers.
Conclusions:
The strengthening of aspect of organizational culture, such as injury-prevention efforts at the military level, or support from superior officers, will contribute to a reduction of the unmet healthcare needs of Korean enlisted soldiers.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Issues And Trends In Healthcare Delivery System
Cost Containment
Payment for healthcare services has historically promoted adoption of costly and often unnecessary or inefficient...
01:30Specialized Care Centers and Settings-II
Rural health centers are specialized care facilities in remote locations with very few medical personnel. The primary care providers who run the centers are mostly Registered Nurse Practitioners. Here, emergency treatment is provided to critically ill or injured patients before they are transferred to the closest hospital. Fortunately, due to advancement in technology, many rural healthcare facilities and professionals have easy access to diagnostic and treatment...
01:18Introduction To Health Care Delivery System
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) advocates for a patient-centered, effective, safe, timely, equitable, and effective healthcare system. The National Priorities...
01:21Barriers to Effective Communication II
Cultural barriers:
Differences in values, beliefs, religion, knowledge, and tradition can significantly impact communication. Awareness of nonverbal cues is critical, especially when conversing with a patient from a different culture. What appears appropriate in one culture may be inappropriate in another.
Semantic barriers:
As a result of their tendency to use...
01:26Methods Of Healthcare Delivery System
Managed Care System:
The managed care system is designed to control the cost while maintaining the quality of care. The patient's care from admission to discharge is planned by the primary care provider or the case manager, also known as the gatekeeper. In a managed care system, the number of care providers is...
01:22Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...